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Batman: Arkham City
Batman: Arkham City is a video game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows and the Wii U, and is based on DC Comics' Batman. It is developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Games. It is based on the short-running comic book mythos, Arkham City, as opposed to most other Batman games which are adaptations of the character in other media besides the source material. It is the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum. Summary Six months after the chaotic events of Batman: Arkham Asylum, both the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane and Blackgate Prison remain gutted, the former in a massive breakout launched by the inmates, lead by the Joker and the latter due to a mysterious fire, which the Joker hints was caused by him for his plans in Arkham Asylum. The administrator of Arkham, mayoral candidate Quincy Sharp, soon takes advantage of Batman's defeat of the Joker at Arkham and claims the credit himself for bringing the asylum back under control, perhaps saying Batman was working under his orders. This is partially to salvage his image, in tatters after the single worst asylum riot took place at a crucial time when Sharp was trying to convince the people of Gotham City to vote for him. This is successful, and Sharp is elected mayor of Gotham (though it's actually thanks to Hugo Strange's partnership with Ra's al Ghoul). His first act is to announce ruined Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison both unfit to house criminals, sane or insane. He then undertakes a bold new project: To move all the former inmates of incarceration at both places into a walled-off urban district, Arkham City. This will be a city only for villains, and is made up of Gotham City's most notorious slums, including Crime Alley. To guard the perimeter of Arkham City the mayor does away with Arkham Asylum's old security force and replaces them with professional mercenaries from a private military organization, TYGER (who are subjugated to brainwashing by Strange). Once all the criminals are trapped inside the prison city, they are told they may do as they please, but there is only one rule: Do not try escaping or you'll be shot dead. This is supported by the TYGER mercenary forces, who enforce this policy through the liberal use of their firearms on any escaping denizens of Arkham City. Since the entire population of Arkham is made up of criminals running wild on the streets, Sharp secretly hopes they will destroy each other inside walled confinement instead of committing crimes in Gotham. With the criminals free to do whatever they want short of escaping, bloody turf wars erupt as various super-villains carve up Arkham City among themselves. A mysterious figure named Dr. Hugo Strange, an Arkham psychiatrist, is placed at the helm of the project by Sharp, but little is known about his objectives or his shadowy past, and rumors soon run rampant that he is up to horrible things behind Arkham City's walls. Those who try and find out too much about Arkham or Strange one by one mysteriously vanish by night, and it is implied most end up inside the city themselves, to be torn apart by the inmates. Batman, wary of Sharp and even more so of Strange, monitors Arkham City for several months, believing that the entire thing has been a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Plot One year after the events of Arkham Asylum, Bruce Wayne is holding a press conference in hopes of exposing Arkham City for what it is, a time bomb. Unfortunately, Hugo Strange is one step ahead and takes advantage of the situation to kidnap Batman as Bruce Wayne and the press and dump them into Arkham City to be torn apart. Strange thanks Batman for making it easy to capture him, and with him out of the way, "Protocol 10" may proceed as planned. Bruce manages to steal a communications chip from a TYGER guards radio and protect Jack Ryder whilst fending off guards and inmates. The Penguin's gang captures Bruce however, and proceeds to get payback against Bruce for destroying his family. Bruce defeats the Penguin and his gang, breaking his cuffs in the process, and escapes into the City. He then has Alfred send a Batsuit in with the Batplane. Once dressed for the occasion, Batman then uses the TYGER Communications Chip he stole for his Cryptographic Sequencer. The TYGER guards communicate that Catwoman has been captured by Two-Face, who is planning to publicly trial and execute her in a court-house. Batman plans to save her, as he believes her to be the most knowledgeable about the situation at hand. Batman is able to save Catwoman and restrain Two-Face. Catwoman states that she doesn't know what Strange is planning but believes it's connected to Joker. While she and Batman were discussing Strange, Joker fires a sniper round into the courthouse which barely misses Catwoman thanks to Batmans quick reflexes. With this, the duo go their separate ways. Batman traces the round that was fired to a Church tower across the street from the Courthouse. Batman enters the Church to find a complement of guards, a hostage medical team, including Aaron Cash, and Harley Quinn. Harley moves to attack Batman but Batman counters her. Harley states that the Joker isn't feeling well and that Batman can't see him. When she leaves, Batman promptly neutralizes the guards and rescue the medical team. Once at the top of the tower, Batman hijacks the remote feed for the gun. After doing so, Joker appears on the TV's inhabiting the small area, where we see Joker's face twisted with deep cuts. The tower then explodes from bombs placed by the Joker. Batman traces the the remote feed and tracks it to the Steel works, Joker's base of operations. Batman manages to save one of the medical team from Jokers men, to which she explains that she couldn't cure Joker. Batman tracks Joker to his office where he's lured into a trap using a Joker dummy. Batman determines that Joker was never really sick, only for Joker to prove him dead wrong, showing his twisted mutilated face. Joker also reveals that he's injected Batman with his Titan-contaminated blood, and has had samples of it shipped to hospitals all over Gotham, intending to poison hundreds to give Batman the motivation to find a cure for him. Batman believes this to be Protocol 10, however Joker says he's never heard of it, and proceeds to push Batman out of a window. Batman takes a chip from a cellphone from Joker and puts it into his cowl in case Joker has information about the cure for him. Joker states that he blackmailed Mr. Freeze to make the cure for him but he's lost contact with him. Batman traces Mr. Freeze's base of operations to a old forensic lab formerly used by the GCPD. He discovers that he has been kidnapped by the Penguin and, by interrogating a thug, learns that his base of operations is in the old museum. After a few complications, Batman infiltrates the Museum and learns that, against his advice, Commissioner Gordon had sent an undercover team to infiltrate the gangs of Arkham City and Penguin has captured all 10 of them. After Penguin kills one of the cops, Batman promises him that he'll take him down. Batman rescues the hostages and reunites Freeze with his Suit. Freeze gives Batman a chip that acts as a failsafe in case someone ever managed to turn his tech against him, which proves vital to defeating Penguin since he is using Freeze's cryo-gun. Penguin, however, has an ace up his sleeve. He dumps Batman into the basement of the Iceberg Lounge where he is keeping Solomon Grundy and amplifying his abilities with electricity. Batman tears into the Swamp Zombie's chest and destroys his vital organs, killing Solomon Grundy. Batman takes Penguin into the custody of the police officers and proceeds to get the cure from Freeze. Freeze states that the cure is incomplete and requires an enzyme that he cannot create. Batman recognizes the enzyme from blood tests he's run on Ra's al Ghul. Batman proceeds to follow one of Talia al Ghul's personal assassins back to the League of Assassin's headquarters, located in the ruins of the failed Wonder City project. Along the way, Batman is ambushed by more assassins and is saved by Robin. Batman gives a sample of his blood to Robin and tells him to find everyone with the poison in their veins, as they will likely be dead in 24 hours unless Freeze's antidote gets to them. Unfortunately, Joker's poisoned blood has started to take effect and Batman estimates that he only has a few hours left to live. Supposedly, because he has no other choice, Batman finally accepts Ra's offer to become his heir to the League of Assassins. As part of his initiation to the League, Batman drinks a sample of the "Blood of the Demon" which boosts his health but doesn't completely cure him. Once passing his tests Batman confronts Ra's himself, who states that in order to become head of the League, Batman simply has to kill him. Batman refuses to kill under any circumstances, prompting Ra's to get himself into fighting shape by jumping into his Lazarus Pit and immersing Batman into a hallucination where he is all powerful. Batman nearly defeats Ra's, but at the last moment, he takes Talia hostage and tries to force Batman to kill him to save Talia (whom Ra's states is the only woman Batman has ever loved, supposedly). Instead, Batman simply knocks him to the ground via a well placed Batarang and acquires the blood sample he came for. Angrily, Talia runs off after having been used and betrayed by the only two people she loves. Ra's also reveals that the reason why he's seeking an heir is because years of Lazarus Pit use has mutated his body and mind. He says that each time he comes out of the Pit, he fears more and more what will come out next. Batman gives Ra's one chance to break his addiction or he'll come back and break it for him. Batman has no time to go after Talia, as he needs to get the blood to Freeze. Once back at the GCPD lab, Batman gives the blood to Freeze, which he uses to complete the antidote. However, at the last moment, Freeze tries to use the antidote to blackmail Batman into rescuing Nora Fries, whom has been kidnapped by the Joker to try and force Freeze to make the antidote. They proceed to fight each other over the antidote and Batman defeats Freeze. However, it is revealed that during the fight, Harley Quinn had broken into Freeze's safe and taken the antidote. Freeze tries to help Batman defeat Joker, hoping that he'll rescue Nora, by giving him am armament of Cryo-bombs he developed. Unfortunately, on his way to Joker's hideout Vicki Vale's news team is shot down by Joker and they're caught in a war between Joker and Penguin's thugs. Batman easily rescues Vicky and moves on, being informed that the attack was a distraction to buy Harley time to get back to base. During his trek to the Steel Works, Batman discovers that Mayor Sharp has been imprisoned in the city. Batman rescues and interrogates him but learns no useful information. Batman then continues to the Steel Works. Once inside, Oracle calls and tells Batman that Strange has called an emergency meeting to activate Protocol 10. Strange claims that he failed to stop the spread of illegal firearms, which he provided, in the city and that the inmates are preparing an attack. Using this, Strange has gained permission to activate Protocol 10 in 30 minutes. Batman eventually confronts Joker who fights Batman with the assistance of one of the Abramovici Twins, a Titan enhanced Thug, and a small army of thugs. Once the fighting is over, a Protocol 10 missile is detonated nearby and debris pins Batman to the ground. With this, Talia al Ghul shows up and offers Joker immortality in exchange for Batman's life. Joker agrees to the deal but Talia plants one of Batman's tracking devices onto herself, subtly telling Batman to follow her lead. Meanwhile, across town, Catwoman and Poison Ivy are arguing. Catwoman neglected to water Poison Ivy's plants and now there is only one left which is locked up in Strange's vault, protected by TYGER. Catwoman convinces Ivy to allow her to retrieve the plant from the confiscated goods vault. During the effort to break into the vault, Catwoman overhears Strange's plans to wipe out Arkham, and has apparently killed Batman. Against her better judgement, Catwoman proceeds to rescue Batman with success. Once outside, Batman realizes that Protocol 10 is actually missile strikes against Arkham. It was a ploy to gather every criminal in Gotham in one place and wipe them out. Batman orders Oracle and Alfred to remotely hack Wonder Tower and stop Protocol 10 while he goes to rescue Talia from Joker. Instead, Alfred and Oracle cut Batman off from Wayne-Tech telemetry and force him to stop Protocol 10 first. Determining that the Tower is on lockdown, Batman hacks the TYGER Patrol helicopters and eventually finds the Master Control Chip. With it, he sneaks into the tower to confront Strange. Once inside, Strange accuses Batman that the super villain problem is his fault and he has created an environment in which the criminal element has spiraled out of control. Like a plague, they have been forced to mutate and evolve, but never completely wiped out, until now. Batman proceeds to eliminate TYGER forces and confront Strange. Batman gives Oracle access to the system and she shuts down Protocol 10. At this point Ra's arrives, revealing himself to be the mastermind behind the whole plot. When Strange came to him with Batman's identity, he was so impressed that he offered this one chance to prove his worth and succeed him, which now he has failed, and Ra's stabs him in the back. With Strange's dying breath he activates "Protocol 11," a self-destruct sequence for Wonder Tower. Batman attempts to save Ra's during the fall. However, Ra's tries to take advantage of the situation attempts and stab himself and Batman mid-fall, but only succeeds in killing himself. Joker announces that he has taken Talia to the Monarch Theater and is planning on killing her. Batman arrives at the theater where Joker demands, at gun point, that Batman will hand over the cure. Batman is confused at Joker's statement, as he is apparently healthy and had already stolen the cure. At this point, Talia runs her sword through Joker and reveals that she stole the cure from Harley Quinn. Batman then pieces together clues taken throughout the night, revealing that there has been two Jokers all along, a healthy Joker standing in for a sick one. The sick Joker kills Talia, while the healthy one reveals himself to be Clayface, who accepted Joker's offer to fill in for him simply for the role of a lifetime and steals the cure from Talia's corpse before Batman can get to it. Clayface and Batman fight, Batman using freeze bombs to freeze Clayface and carve him up with Talia's sword. With Clayface apparently defeated, Joker detonates high explosives on the floor of the theater, causing it to collapse, and bringing the fight into the very Lazarus Pit Joker had been looking for. Batman defeats Clayface a second time and retreives the cure, sipping it immediately. Joker comes down into the room and demands that Batman gets out of the way to the Lazarus Pit. Instead, Batman throws the sword into the electrical equipment for the Pit and destroys it. After this Joker, still dying, states that despite all that he's done, Batman will still save him and demands the antidote immediately. Batman briefly contemplates allowing Joker to die but the impatient Joker tries to get the antidote by force, causing Batman to drop the antidote and shattering it on the floor. Batman states that the sad part is that he decided to give Joker the antidote despite all that he's done. Joker thinks the comment is hilarious and dies laughing. Batman carries Joker's body out of Arkham and leaves it on the hood of a GCPD patrol car. Later that night, Batman and Catwoman meet in the ruins of Arkham. Batman states that there is still a lot of work left to do in Arkham City, for the both of them. Characters Heroes/Allies * Bruce Wayne/Batman ** Skins - Certain skins were available as pre-order bonuses from various retailers. The skins became available via DLC content pack on December 6, 2011 on Xbox Live/Playstation Store. *** 1970's Batman Skin *** ''The Animated Series'' Skin *** ''Batman Beyond'' Skin *** ''Batman Incorporated'' Skin *** Earth One Batman Skin *** ''Batman: Year One'' Skin *** ''The Dark Knight Returns'' Skin *** Sinestro Corps Batman Skin * Catwoman - Catwoman is controlled differently than Batman. She has her own story, (Roughly 10% of the game) and her own combat moves (uses her whip, bola, and caltrops). Instead of gliding, she uses her whip plus jumping and climbing through the environment. She has her own version of detective mode, which is known as thief mode. Thief mode highlights objects of value. Along with her whip and the bola, Catwoman uses a Caltrop in combat. She can also crawl along ceilings, climb building, etc with her claws. While some of her missions are optional, she will have to be used on occasion seeing how her story is intertwined with Batman's. The content featuring Catwoman is not available on the disk, you must download it from Xbox Live/Playstation Store using a code that comes with new copies of the game only (so if you buy a game used, or from Gamefly, you can't get the Catwoman content unless you pay an additional money required). Catwoman also has her own exclusive collection of Riddler trophies to find. ** Skins (Skins only available as DLC) *** ''The Animated Series'' Skin *** ''The Long Halloween'' Skin * Tim Drake/Robin - Playable only as a pre-order bonus from Best Buy. Robin will be available via DLC on November 22 for owners of the game who didn't pre-order from Best Buy. Robin makes a brief appearance in the game, and he has his own exclusive challenge map featuring Black Mask. Robin fights with a bo-staff and many of his gadgets. He has his own navigational system, his own combat combos and he's got an explosives augmentation. ** Skins (Skins only available as DLC) *** ''The Animated Series'' Skin *** Red Robin Skin * Dick Grayson/Nightwing - Like Robin, Dick Grayson as Nightwing is a playable character for all challenge maps. Nightwing appears to be more agile when it comes to his fighting style, as seen in his exclusive new trailer. He also fights using his Nightsticks, which generate a painful electric shock to his enemies. He was released on November 1st, 2011. ** Skins (Skins only available as DLC) *** ''The Animated Series'' Skin * Alfred Pennyworth (Communicates with Batman through comm-link) * Commissioner Gordon * Talia al Ghul * Gotham City Police Department * Jack Ryder * Oracle * Vicki Vale * M.P.T. Aaron Cash * M.P.T. William North * M.P.T. Eddie Burlow * M.P.T. Anne Bishop * Azrael Villains/Adversaries * The Joker * Dr. Harleen Francis Quinzel/Harley Quinn * Waylon Jones/Killer Croc (Cameo only) * Edward Nigma (Formerly Eddie Nashton)/The Riddler * Pamela Lillian Isley/Poison Ivy (Only appears in the Catwoman content) * Victor Zsasz (Only appears in a side mission) * Bane (Only appears in a side mission) * Ra's al Ghul * Talia al Ghul * Clayface * Scarface (Only seen in a display case) * Titan Henchman * Dr. Hugo Strange * Mr. Freeze * Two-Face * The Penguin * Solomon Grundy * Calendar Man * Black Mask (Cameo in Story Mode, DLC Mission Boss) * Deadshot (Only appears in a side mission) * Mad Hatter (Only appears in a side mission) * Hush (Only appears in a side mission) * Abramovici Twins ** Mister Hammer ** Sickle * Deathstroke (In Batman: Arkham City Lockdown Only) * Kano (In Batman: Arkham City Lockdown Only) Other * Thomas Wayne * Martha Wayne * Quincy Sharp * Nora Fries * Dr. Adam Hamasaki * Dr. Stacy Baker * Fiona Wilson * GCPD Sgt. Tom Miller * GCPD Officer Elvis Jones * GCPD Officer Best * GCPD Officer Forrester * GCPD Officer Strickland * GCPD Officer Whitman * GCPD Officer Michaels * GCPD Officer Sanchez * GCPD Officer Denning * GCPD Officer Southwold * Bud and Lou * The Toymaker (referenced through Krank Co.) * Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow (Mask only) * The Broker (mentioned only) * Crazy Quilt (mentioned only) * Arnold Wesker (mentioned only) * The Creeper (mentioned only) * Huntress (mentioned only) * Maxie Zeus (mentioned only) * Ratcatcher (mentioned only) * Lucius Fox (mentioned only) * Razor (mentioned only) * TYGER Guards * Inmates * Tony Wicker (Harley Quinn's Revenge only) Locations Park Row *Church/Medical Center *Ace Chemicals Building *Solomon Wayne Courthouse *The Black Canary *Finnigan's Bar *Liquors *Gotham Hardware *Glass, Mirrors, Shades *The Stacked Deck *Hotel Aventine *Vote Harvey Dent Campaign Office *Live Nudes *Baudelaire *TYGER Confiscated Goods Vault *Mad Hatter's Lair *Crime Alley *Monarch Theatre Amusement Mile *Gotham Casino *Gotham City Olympus Nightclub *GCR *GCPD Building *Prawn Shack *Gotham Sea Pier *Scallop Bar *W. White - Gotham Fish Monger's *Krank Co. Toys *Dini Towers *Leslie Thompkins Medical Clinic *Poison Ivy's Lair Industrial District *Sionis Industries *Steel Mill *Joker's Funland *Bill's Hotdogs *North Gotham Docks *Tricorner Naval *Zsasz's Hideout *Storage Warehouse 5B *Otis Flannegan Pest Control Subway *Subway Station *Subway Tunnels *Subway Terminal *Subway Maintenance Access The Bowery *Bank of Gotham *Live Nudes *Monorail *Sal Maroni's Italian Restaurant *Cyrus Pinkney's Institute for Natural History (Museum) *Iceberg Lounge *Shreck's Department Store *Jezebel Center **Gotham Casino **Carnival Toys & Games **Gotham Perfumes **Glass, Mirrors, Shades **Italian Cuisine *Subway Station *Magic and Props Steel Mill *Waste Exchange *Loading Bay *Assembly Line *Smelting Chamber *Cooling Tunnel - B *Cooling Tunnel - D *Freight Elevator *Boiler Room Museum *Trophy Room *Gladiator Pit *Torture Chamber *War Room *Armory *The Iceberg Lounge Wonder City *Collapsed Streets *Wonder Tower Foundations *Wonder Avenue **Grimberg's Occult Store **Muftic Barbershop **Underhill & Davies Books **The Tea Hut **Wonder City Jewelry **Billingham Butchers **Adamson & Stjernberg Drugstore **Furniture Store **Fruit & Vegetables **Cloney Cobblers **Wonder City Textile Manufacturing **Crazy Clown Toys & Dolls **Royal Flush Tobacco **Wine & Spirit *Secret Corridor *Chamber of the Demon *Wonder Tower *Observation Deck Outside of Arkham City * Gotham City Hall * Black Mask Hideout (Robin's Challenge map) * Freight Train Escape (Robin's Challenge map) * Bludhaven (mentioned only) * Metropolis (mentioned only) * Keystone (mentioned only) * Wayne Manor (DLC only) ** Batcave (DLC only) Gameplay Combat Changes have been made to the combat system as well. Batman can now pull off double and even triple take downs. He can also counter thrown objects by catching them and throwing back, and he can flip over an enemy and attack another in a fluid movement. Batman also has a few new moves in the game. Beatdown- performed by pressing X and B (360) or Square and Circle (PS3) that unleashes a flurry of punches and kicks on his opponent. A demonstrated use of this is to take down armored enemies. Batman also has combat abilities added in addition to the new movement abilities.He can pull off a new move called Dive Bomb, Batman can drop from either a great height, or execute the maneuver mid glide, plummeting towards the ground to either reach his destination quicker, or make a dramatic entrance to a fight. Rocksteady have confirmed that thugs will jump back in fear, and are not forced back by a form of shock-wave generated by Batman’s impact. As well as the Glide kick, Batman can perform and a throat slam by firing his grapple gun at an enemy whilst gliding, which fire Batman into his opponent, slamming them into the ground. Batman will use the environment against his enemies, thanks to context sensitive animations Batman will slam thugs heads against walls if he is close enough. You can employ Explosive Gel into combat, executing a quick flip, Batman can spray either the ground or an enemy, and detonate the gel at his leisure for explosive effect. Batman's attacks can knock thugs into each other, potentially taking multiple enemies out at the same time. Detective In Arkham City Detective Vision has been given an overhaul, in Arkham Asylum DV made the environment transparent and enemies illuminated. To combat a frequent problem of players simply leaving the mode on, and severally reducing the visual experience of the game, in Arkham City DV will highlight enemies and interactive objects in more detail and at greater range than before, though the environment will be very hard to distinguish, forcing players to use DV sparsely if they want to navigate effectively. Detective vision will highlight all characters, weapons and interactive objects in the area. Gadgets Batarangs The standard batarang remains the same as in Batman: Arkham Asylum. However, three Batarangs (Multibatarang) can no longer be fired simultaneously. Explosive Gel Also returns from Arkham Asylum, the gel can be deployed in combat, either against the environment, or onto an attacker. It's less useful than its predecessor, due to the loss of selective and automatic detonation. Batclaw Can pull thugs towards Batman, who are then promptly finished off with a brutal take down. Can also be used to grab items like Riddler Trophies. In contrast to its predecessor, it can't be upgraded to the Ultrabatclaw. Cryptographic Sequencer Batman's remote hacking device allows him to decode encrypted data sticks and listen in on radio broadcasts throughout Arkham City, such as GCPD comms, which may alert him to crimes. It is also used to hack into Riddler communications to locate Riddler hostages. Line Launcher An improved version to it's predecessors' in Arkham Asylum, able to fire multiple lines, hold a static line across two points, and be utilized for a special drop-kick, for more details please refer to the in depth description in the Movement section. Remote Control Batarang Another returnee from Arkham Asylum, this new RC Batarang has new features that enable it to perform a 180 degree turn, boost through the air and brake. Previews have also stated the RC 'rang is capable of carrying an electrical charge, to solve a Riddler riddle. Sonic Batarang Another addition from Arkham Asylum, this the sonic batarang remains the same. However it can be used much more frequently. Smoke Bombs A new addition to Batman's arsenal, allowing him to make a hasty escape if discovered. For more information, please read our Silent Predator section. Remote Electric Charge A combination tool and weapon used by Batman in Arkham City, the REC fires electronic pulses at enemies to stun them or to power electronic generators. Disruptor Although originally designed to shut down Mr. Freeze's gun, the disruptor can be used to disable guns and detonate mines as well. Freeze Technology New to the game, these gadgets are based upon equipment designed by Victor Fries and are used like grenades. They can be used to freeze environmental hazards, create chunks of ice to cross water, and against enemies. Movement Arkham City is five times bigger then Arkham Asylum. Because of that, there is a less constrictive feel to the game, and a lot more movement options for Batman has been given. Gliding has been given a major overhaul in Arkham City, in Asylum, the player was limited to a very simple glide mechanic that allowed the player to slow descent, allowing them to cover more ground whilst airborne, and perform turns in the air. In Arkham City, Batman swoops across the rooftops, and can execute two new moves that allow him to maintain his glide indefinitely. The first move, the Dive Boost, is very similar to the Dive Bomb, where Batman will pull his cape in and hurtle towards the ground, opening his cape at the last second, and using the newfound boost to make him soar back upwards into the sky. The second move is the Grapple Boost. Batman can fire the grappling gun from the first game in mid-glide, and use the line to pull himself through the city. If Batman is feeling tired, or perhaps wants to travel around in a stealthier fashion, he can now use his Grapple Gun to zip up to a helicopter and hang off it, as well as a sneaky way to travel around Arkham City, Batman can also use this elevated position to plan out his next plan of attack, before dropping into the fray. The Line Launcher from Arkham Asylum makes a return, but the gadget has been heavily upgraded since the last time we saw it, Batman is still able to use it to quickly get from one place to another, though in Arkham City it will open up a whole new range of movement and strategic possibilities. Rocksteady have confirmed that the player is able to fire and travel along the rope line, in the same manner as which they did in Asylum, however this time around the player can swivel the camera around Batman, and at any point during the Line Launcher transportation, execute a flip into the air, following up with a quick second shot from the Line Launcher. Batman can perform this move with 360 degrees of flexibility, and similar to the Grapple Boost, this tactic can be repeated to keep Batman off the ground indefinitely. When traveling down the line, the player can press a button that will slow down time, allowing for easier line launcher shots. Batman can also anchor his line between any two points, and then flip up on to it, balancing in place. Batman can move the distance of line, using his position to plan an attack. More aggressive players can then choose a target, and swing down using the line, slamming their chosen enemy into the ground. The Silent Predator missions have returned. In Arkham Asylum Batman could perform many exotic environment based take downs (Such as the Corner Takedown or Ledge Takedown) Arkham City is set to increase the variety of these take downs. Similar to combat, we've excluded certain gadgets like the Ultra Sonic Emitter, which can summon bats to aid you, and will go into the stealthier aspects of the Dark Knight at a later date. Batman can burst through thin walls to grab an enemy and choke him unconscious, in gameplay terms it's a combination of Asylum's explosive gel and a standard silent take down. Batman can now perform double silent take downs, as well as hanging take downs. Batman also has a new smoke bomb gadget, small smoke grenade that distracts the enemy and obscures Batman from view just long enough for the Dark Knight to make his escape. To use the smoke bomb, the player must hit the Y or Triangle button when he is spotted by enemies. Batman can also sabotage his enemies weapons, so that when enemies spot and attempt to fire at him, the guns will misfire. Notes * Buying the game will grant you access to the Gotham City Impostors Beta come it's release. * The song playing during the first official gameplay reveal trailer is "Short Change Hero" by The Heavy. * Though Tim Drake is Robin in the game, the Animated Series skin is Dick Grayson rather than the Tim Drake design from the revamped New Batman Adventures. ** Also his standard skin features a hooded cape, which is more closely linked to Damian Wayne, Tim's successor as Robin, and Bruce Wayne's son. * The Scarecrow is the only villain who appeared physically in the first game that did not return in the second game. However a Riddle and an Easter Egg were made for him. * Thugs have a much wider variety of appearances than in the first game. * Most thugs are grouped into gangs, each headed by a staple Batman villain. * Gang members and territories are heavily stylized and individualized based on the gang's leader. * You can keep track of the gangs in your criminal database. * Thugs not attached to a gang roam the streets. * Riddler thugs have replaced Riddler maps in the new game, and will require interrogation before they will talk. * There are many side quests apart from the main story. One of them involves Batman following a string of pay phones being called by Victor Zsasz before finally confronting him. Another involves Batman teaming up with Bane to track down a chemical contraband. * Arkham City features dynamic music, that directly mirrors and reacts to the actions you chose and undertake whilst playing the game. * Arkham City is at least five times the size of Arkham Asylum. * Arkham City's storyline takes place approximately 80% outdoors, and 20% indoors. * One of Arkham City's main quadrants, Amusement Mile, is heavily flooded and damaged. This may be an allusion to the No Man's Land storyline, during which Gotham falls victim to a massive earthquake and is isolated from the outside world. The damage may even be a result of the earthquake in question. * The primary storyline of Arkham City is very similar to that of Batman Begins, specifically the story of Ra's al Ghul manipulating events from behind the scenes to destroy Gotham from within. The game's story is also reminiscent of Batman: No Man's Land. * During the game, various characters will reference the TV Drama series Lost ("Joker: ... Imagine your favorite show. You've been through it all. The ups, the downs, the crazy coincidences. And then, BANG! They tell you what it's all about. Would you be happy? Does it make sense? How come it all ended in a church?" "Wait—did they ever explain what the island was?"). Paul Dini, one of the creators of the game, had previously worked on Lost. *Some thugs mention villains that don't appear in the game such as Crazy Quilt, Ratcatcher and Scarecrow. *Characters in the game mention previous events, such as Talia referencing a past relationship with Batman. * While using the Cryptographic Sequencer, a voice can be heard at three location each of which gives a different code through numbers: **Find the coordinates X700.00, Y490.00 on the Sequencer to intercept a radio frequency that contains the following repeating numbers: 9, 23, 9, 12, 12, 18, 5, 20, 21, 18, 14, 2, 1, 20, 13, 1, 14. The cypher is a simple 123 = abc etc. The message is decoded as "I WILL RETURN BATMAN". ** Find the coordinates X500.00, Y900.00 on the Sequencer to intercept a radio frequency that contains the following repeating numbers: 5, 15, 9, 7, 21, 18, 18, 14, 3, 5, 24, 15, 12, 7, 22, 3, 10, 5, 15, 9, 22, 3, 8, 25, 26, 15, 16, 25, 10, 15, 17, 25. The cypher is 123456=cbazyx, with the other letters continuing in reverse order. The message is decoded as "YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ME". ** Find the coordinates X200.00, Y500.00 on the Sequencer to intercept a radio frequency that contains the following repeating numbers: 3, 20, 26, 18, 26, 16, 24, 1, 11, 4, 24, 9, 3, 8, 5, 2, 12, 18, 6, 16, 7, 11, 3, 10, 17, 5, 13, 4, 21, 8. Decoding this message is more complicated. First, match each number to its corresponding letter in the alphabet (A=1, B=2, C=3, etc.). This gives the sequence: C T Z R Z P X A K D X I C H E B L R F P G K C J Q E M D U H. Using an Atbash cipher, A is substituted for Z, Y for B, X for C, and so on. This gives the sequence: X G A I A K C Z P W C R X S V Y O I U K T P X Q J V N W F S. Finally, a Vigenere ciphere is used. A keyword is needed to solve the cipher, and the keyword for the code is "SCARECROW". Once decoded, it reads: "Fear will tear Gotham City to shreds." * Some inmates jokes that there will be a sequel saying 'What's next? Arkham County? Arkham State... Arkham World!?'. * In an interview with Vicki Vale and Quincy Sharp, Creeper and Huntress are mentioned, which means that the characters exist in the Arkham world. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXnBP-vy9R0 * Holly Robinson has also been confirmed to exist in the Arkham world in an interview with Strange and Catwoman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uvPww-yscg * Arnold Wesker is mentioned having a police officer hostage, while listening to GCPD Dispatch on the Cryptographic Sequencer. This confirms that Wesker is still a criminal, even after being apparently cured of his insanity at Arkham Asylum. * Batman: Arkham City challenge maps, The Iceberg Lounge and Joker's Carnival as well as a brand new map featured primarily in the Batcave will be available as DLC pack December 20th. * The painting in front of Two-Face's wall safe in the opening scene of the game is visually reminiscent of the classic image of Batman holding a dead Jason Todd in his arms, as well as the end of the game where Batman carries The Joker out of Arkham City. *During the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards, the Joker won for "Best Character of the Year". During his acceptance speech, the Joker held up a file folder named: "Batman: Arkham World Script". Upon realization of what he was holding, The Joker said with a smile "Whoops, spoilers". It was later confirmed to be just a bit of fun and not a real announcement. * Accolades. ** Highest rated Superhero game ever. ** Highest rated game of 2011. ** Second highest rated game ever. * Spike Video Games Awards 2011. ** Character of the Year - The Joker ** Best Xbox 360 Game ** Best Action Adventure Game ** Best Adapted Video Game * It was announced on April 1, 2012, that DLC called "Harley's Revenge". The Harley Quinn's Revenge mission sends players back into Arkham City to face their final challenge as they interchange between playing as both Batman and Robin. Gamers must utilize each of the characters' unique combat and investigative skills to uncover Harley's vengeful plan and shut the gates on the urban mega-prison forever. In addition to experiencing a new storyline, fans can explore new environments and face-off against Harley's all new gang of thugs. The final chapter in Batman: Arkham City that adds more than two hours of original gameplay to the critically-acclaimed interactive title. Harley Quinn's Revenge will be available May 29th (PSN) and May 30th (Xbox Live) Voice Actors * Kevin Conroy - Batman, Hush * Grey DeLisle - Catwoman, Dr. Stacy Baker, Martha Wayne * Mark Hamill - The Joker * James Horan - Jack Ryder, Inmates * Khary Payton - Azrael, Jon Forrester * Nolan North - The Penguin, Black Mask, Inmates * Corey Burton - Hugo Strange * Tara Strong - Harley Quinn * Tom Kane - Mayor Quincy Sharp * Steve Blum - Sickle, Inmates * Danny Jacobs - Victor Zsasz * Tasia Valenza - Poison Ivy * Fred Tatasciore - Bane, Solomon Grundy, Mister Hammer, Inmates * Wally Wingert - The Riddler, Inmates * Kimberly Brooks - Oracle, Anne Bishop * Chris Cox - Eddie Burlow, Deadshot * Chris Gardner - Inmates * Roger Rose - William North * Duane R. Shepard Sr. - Aaron Cash * Rick D. Wasserman - Clayface, Inmates * Martin Jarvis - Alfred Pennyworth * Crispin Freeman - Ernest Ray, GCPD Officer Michaels, Political Prisoners * Troy Baker - Two-Face, Robin * Maurice LaMarche - Mr. Freeze, Calender Man, Political Prisoners * Joe Holt - Elvis Jones * Kari Wahlgren - Vicki Vale, League of Assassins Member * Carlos Alazraqui - GCPD Officer Sanchez * Dee Bradley Baker - Ra's al Ghul, Killer Croc, Wonder City Announcer * Eric Bauza - Dr. Adam Hamasaki * Michael Gough - Doctor, TYGER Guard, Gotham Cop * Stana Katic - Talia al Ghul * David Kaye - Commissioner Gordon, TYGER Guard, Inmates * Misty Lee - Museum Announcer, Dispatch Officer * Peter MacNicol - Mad Hatter * Jim Meskimen - Tom Miller * Audrey Wasilewski - Nurse Fiona Wilson, League of Assassins Member Development History Arkham City was scripted by veteran comic book author Paul Dini, who also scripted Arkham Asylum. It features a main plot and side-missions that develop their own sub-plots. The main storyline revolves around Batman's imprisonment in Arkham City, a sprawling new super-prison five times bigger than the original asylum and enclosing a wide variety of industrial districts, iconic locations and Gotham City landmarks. He must now stop mishaps occurring around this chaotic enclosure caused by Gotham's most notorious super criminals. The game has received universal critical acclaim and was the highest rated video game of 2011. Retail Editions The Collector's Edition contains a Batman statue by Kotobukiya, a collectible art book, Batman: Arkham City – The Album from WaterTower Music, the animated film Batman: Gotham Knight, The Dark Knight Returns skin and the Penguin-themed "Iceberg Lounge" challenge map. A series of "Steelbook Edition" versions of the game were also made available, featuring the standard game with a metallic case. The Joker-themed Steelbook includes the "Joker's Carnival" challenge map, the animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood on DVD (Blu-ray for PS3), and the 1970's Batman skin DLC. The Catwoman-themed steelbook includes the Catwoman DLC, the code for the Gotham City Impostors Beta come its release, and the Earth One Batman skin DLC. Two other steelbook editions were released featuring the likenesses of Two-Face and The Penguin. In the United Kingdom, the Robin Edition was announced for sale exclusively through the retailers Game and Gamestation, containing the game and all of the Robin pre-order content including the playable character, skins and challenge maps. * Collector's Edition * The Joker Steelbook * Catwoman Steelbook * Two-Face Steelbook * The Penguin Steelbook * Robin Edition The Game of the Year Edition is set to be released on May 29, 2012. It will include a full copy of the game as well as all DLC that has been released. * Catwoman Pack * Nightwing Bundle Pack * Robin Bundle Pack * Arkham City Skins Pack * Challenge Map Pack The game will also contain the newest and final DLC, Harley Quinn's Revenge, which will send gamers back into Arkham City for their final challenge. Players will switch between playing as Batman and Robin as they fight Harley and her new gang of thugs. Soundtrack The Batman: Arkham City – Original Video Game Score was released on October 18, 2011, by WaterTower Music. The album features 19 songs written for the game. Ron Fish and Nick Arundel, composers for Batman: Arkham Asylum, returned to write music for Arkham City. Track Listing *Main Theme *Sorry, Boys *A Monument To Your Failure *Have You Got My Location *This Court Is Now In Session *It Was The Joker *I Think You Should Do As He Says *Refusal Will Not Be Tolerated *Wham. Gotcha! *Let's Hear Him Squeal *I Know What You Guys Are Thinking *It's Initiation Time *What's He Doing Here? *How Does It Feel, Pig? *Call Him Off *You Should Have Listened To My Warning *You Need To Think This Through *Bring Her Back To Me *It's Not Even Breakfast Possible Sequel * There are many factors that allude to a sequel to Arkham City. ** Harley's positive Pregnancy Test, though this seems to be a red herring since in Harley Quinn's Revenge we see several other pregnancy test and all are shown as negative. It could be that the baby was a stillbirth or the previous reading was simply false. It is also possible, given the relationship between the two, that Joker faked the Pregnancy Test to make Harley believe she was pregnant. ** At the end of the credits, Harley can be heard singing to her baby, promising that she will kill "the whole damn world". ** Batman commenting he will go after Hush tomorrow. ** Hush is shown to escape Arkham City after altering his face to look like Bruce Wayne's. ** Canisters of Scarecrow's fear gas in Hush's hideout. ** Two-Face winning the gang war in the wake of Joker's death and Penguin's imprisonment, thus gaining control of the criminal underworld. ** Azrael comments that Batman after saving Arkham City events would be set in motion that would lead to the possible down fall of Gotham & Batman himself. Azrael then promises Batman that they would meet again. ** There are Scarecrow thugs carrying out Crane's bidding during the Protocol 10 Sequence all over Amusement Miles.http://arkhamcity.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8565 ** The strange communications on the Cryptographic Sequencer, translating into''' I WILL RETURN BATMAN, YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ME, FEAR WILL TEAR GOTHAM CITY TO SHREDS'. The last of which can only be decoded once you enter the passcode, '''SCARECROW'. ** Falcone's shipment to Scarecrow seen on Scarecrow's boat. ** During the game's finale, when the Lazarus Pit is exploding, Batman is knocked unconscious with the cure in his left hand. When we wakes up it is in his right hand. Possibly meaning someone took or switched it while he was unconscious (It is possible this is the result of a continuity error). ** Scarecrow's Fear Gas tanks can also be found in the city. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfjKlK0OkHw ** Calendar Man's escape from his cell. *** If the player goes to Calendar Man's cell as Catwoman, the two will engage in a brief conversation in which Calendar Man hints that Catwoman might be expecting something from her father & that it may involve the Falcone's. This may indicate that the next game may be based off The Long Halloween, in which Catwoman belives that that she is the daughter of Carmine Falcone. ** Poison Ivy stating to Catwoman that she will have revenge on humanity. ** Scarface disappearing from his display case, presumably taken by the Ventriloquist. ** Bane vows to kill both Batman and Catwoman. ** Deadshot vowing revenge on Batman for stopping him. ** Ra's al Ghul's body disappearing from on top of the gate into the city, whilst his sword remains at the end of the game. ** Talia's body vanishes during Batman's battle with Clayface. ** Abramovici Twins teaming up. ** Prometheus's record is found in the GCPD, passing the Arkham exams, as well as newspaper articles telling of two criminals gunned down in front of their son by police. ** Peyton Riley is revealed to be the active Ventriloquist. ** In Harley Quinn's Revenge Several Posters of Cadmus can be seen in Harley's secret base, all of which are located right next to a Joker model, possible hinting that Cadmus could be involved in the character returning. ** When Robin enters the secret base for the first time Vicky Vale can be heard on the radio asking Gordon where the Joker's body is. Whether this means that the Clown Prince of Crime's body was stolen or if this is just meant to be a Red Herring is still unknown at this time. ** In Harley Quinn's Revenge, Gordon tells Batman that after they've stopped Harley they need to deal with another problem. Gallery *''Batman: Arkham City''/Gallery Videos Video:Teaser Trailer|Joker Teaser Trailer Video:Batman_Arkham_City_Hugo_Strange_Trailer_720P|Hugo Strange Reveal Trailer Video:Batman_Arkham_City_-_Official_Gameplay_Trailer_-_This_Ain't_No_Place_for_a_Hero|Gameplay Trailer Video:Catwoman_and_Batman_Gameplay_-_Batman_Arkham_City|Catwoman and Batman Gameplay Video:Catwoman_HD_Gameplay_Trailer_-_Batman_Arkham_City|Catwoman Trailer Video:Can you defeat a mind such as mine?|The Riddler Trailer Video:The Penguin Trailer|The Penguin Trailer Video:Mr._Freeze_HD_Gameplay_Trailer_-_Batman_Arkham_City|Mr. Freeze Trailer Video:"We_could_both_actually_die_here_tonight!"_-_Batman_Arkham_City|The Joker Trailer Video:"Soon_I_will_command_forces_beyond_your_comprehension"_-_Batman_Arkham_City|Official Launch Trailer Video:Nightwing Trailer|Nightwing Trailer Video:Robin Trailer|Robin Trailer Video:Challenge Map Pack DLC Trailer|Challenge Map Pack DLC Trailer Video:The Arkham Bundle|The Arkham Bundle DLC Trailer Video:Batman_Arkham_City_-_Big_Head_Mode_Easter_Egg|Big Head Mode Easter Egg Video:Batman Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition|Game of the Year Edition Trailer Video:Batman Arkham City Harley Quinn's Revenge Teaser|Harley Quinn's Revenge Teaser Trailer Video:Harley Quinn's Revenge 'Payback Trailer'|Harely Quinn's Revenge Trailer External Links * Official Facebook Page * Official Youtube Channel Category:Video Games Batman: Arkham City 1 Category:Batman: Arkham City